Homicides and incidents against traveling salespeople
are down substantially, says JSA

The jewelry industry made substantial progress in reducing crime in 2004. Homicides in the jewelry industry, for example, totaled just three, down from an average of 21 in each in the past 24 years.

Losses attributed to crimes against traveling salespeople also fell dramatically, down 23% from the previous year to the lowest number in at least 10 years.

The good news formed the basis of a report by John Kennedy, president of the Jewelers Security Alliance, at the annual JSA luncheon in January. Even if JSA has played only a small role in reducing homicides, says Kennedy, it shows the continued success of JSA is literally a life-and-death issue for the jewelry industry.

The most important factor in reducing losses in 2004, says Kennedy, is the work of law enforcement and the soaring number of arrests. Officials reported more than 500 arrests involving crime against the jewelry industry, up 32% from the previous year.